Many foreign families choose to stay long-term in Ubud and on Bali. The days offer much variation and things to explore, and the babysitting options are plenty, extremely flexible and very affordable. For these reasons it is also common for single parents to stay long-term while working remotely: from home; cafes; or perhaps most commonly, from coworking spaces. Whether or not you’re interested in staying long-term, here’s some information you might find useful if you’re bringing children.

Drop-in programs & international schools

Pelangi School offers a drop-in program for children staying in Ubud for 20 school days. Pelangi is a private, not-for-profit school located a bit south of Ubud, about 5-10 minutes ride from central Ubud.

Green School is a bit further away, about 25 min ride from Ubud. Green School has had famous visitors such as Ban Ki-moon, Jane Goodall, and Philip Zimbardo. See the TED talk about Green School, by the founder, John Hardy.

Spring School is available for children between 3 and 5 years old, who will stay in Ubud for a minimum of 3 months. The school is located in central Ubud.

Wood School is available for children from 3 to 14 years old. The school is located about 5-10 min ride from central Ubud.

Activities

Located next to Pelangi School, the newly opened Titi Batu offers plenty of fun for families: family pool, lap pool, skate park (skateboard and safety equipment can be rented on site), multi sports court, playground, indoor playroom for the smallest, squash court, ping-pong, spa (with sauna), and lots of drop-in classes for adults and kids (yoga, dance, pilates, meditation, capoiera, swimming lessons, karate…). They also have a big and cosy restaurant, making it easy for you to enjoy a full day at Titi Batu. They are open daily from 07:00 until 22:00.

Cinema Paradiso, in central Ubud, frequently hosts drop-in activities for children and their parents, such as dancing and movie screenings. The cinema has comfy couches with tables, and the adjacent restaurant, Down to Earth, with table service in the cinema is open for orders during the whole screening. Down to Earth also offers a small play corner inside the restaurant.

Meet monkeys in an ethical way in a sanctuary called Monkey Forest, located in central Ubud.

Ubud Yoga Center offers very popular yoga classes for kids. They also have Ubud’s best playroom, allowing kids an awesome supervised time while the parent is taking a yoga class or enjoying a fresh young coconut in the cafe.

Longing for cool air condition while the kids take care of themselves? Peek A Boo is your savior. Located about 40 min drive south of Ubud.

Want more? Check out Bali Kids Guide! You might also want to join the Facebook group for families staying short- or long-term in Ubud.

Babysitting

There are plenty of different types of babysitting services in and around Ubud. Below are a few examples where you can start your search.

http://balikidsguide.com/hire-a-bali-nanny/
http://www.karsini-services.com/nanny/nanny.php
https://balichildcare.com/

Vaccinations

Different clinics and different countries have somewhat different views on which vaccines you need when traveling to Bali. Make sure to look into this in good time. Short-term visitors are typically not recommended to take vaccine against rabies. Malaria does not exist on Bali, but you might need malaria protection of you’re planning on travelling to islands further east from Bali.

How to get around

It is unlikely that you will be walking a lot in Ubud, or anywhere else on Bali. There are rarely any sidewalks, which means that you are sharing the (small and rather chaotic) roads with motorbikes and cars. You will therefore have very limited use for a stroller on Bali. Baby carriers such as a Manduca would likely be to prefer.

You should also expect to go with taxis: cars or motorbikes. There are LOTS of them everywhere, so they will not be difficult to find. There are no laws requiring boosters or other types of car seats for children. You should expect to either bring these yourself or rent them on site.

Some families choose to hire a private driver who is available for them on a daily basis. This way, you can always leave what you want in the car, and your personal driver will never be further away than a phone call. The typical salary for a personal driver is a bit over 3.000.000 IDR / month (200 USD) + covering the driver’s expenses for gas, road tolls, lunch, and accommodation should there be overnight stays. Expect higher rates for short-term hires.

You can also rent a car (about 3.000.000 IDR / month) or your own motorbike (about 650.000 IDR / month). Please note that you will need an international driving license in both cases. The traffic on Bali may seem chaotic to foreigners at first. Make sure to learn the formal and informal rules about how to drive before you start, and you’ll be good.

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Any questions? Let IGDORE’s Bali staff know and they will do their best to help you! You reach them easily by email: indonesia@igdore.org

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